Neighbors: Slain store owner was threatened

May 15, 2009

Michael Norton was not one to back away from a fight nor would he turn his back on somebody in need.

For decades, Norton's family ran a sweet shop in the West Humboldt Park neighborhood, providing a place for people to grab a soda, chat about the neighborhood's woes or even get help with alcohol addiction.

Norton, known as "Mike" to his friends and customers, took over Norton's Sweet Shop after his father, a Chicago police officer, died in 1988. He ran the place with the stern but compassionate grip of an officer's son, chasing after children who stole candy but then letting them go with a warning rather than calling police.

But he was no pushover. In 1991 Norton shot two men who tried to rob him at the store, killing one and injuring another. Norton installed safety glass around the cashier's counter but wouldn't close up shop. He had too many friends in the neighborhood, his family said.

On Thursday night, Norton, 55, of unincorporated Glen Ellyn, was found shot to death in the rear of his store, his hands bound and a bullet through the back of his head. Police are calling the incident robbery-related. No one was in custody Friday evening.

The convenience store where the man was found dead. (Jeremy Gorner/ Chicago Tribune)

Residents worry, though, that Norton may have been targeted after standing up to gangs in the neighborhood.

Recently, Norton had told gang members allegedly selling drugs to get out of an apartment above his store, family and neighbors said. They in turn threatened to "break his legs" and even take his life, they said.

Last week, someone fired a gun into the North Avenue side of Norton's corner store. Norton, who owned the building, told neighbors that he believed the angry tenants were responsible.

On Friday, a bullet hole remained visible in the window behind a metal window gate.

Still, Norton kept to his routine, keeping the shop open six days a week. His perseverance in the face of such threats was a hallmark of his personality, the family said.

"If anybody threatened him, he was in their face right back," said his sister, Margaret Carolan. "You have to know when you're in a changing neighborhood for many years that you have to present a strong front."

As a teenager, Norton wanted to be a stockbroker, but his father needed help at the shop. He began stocking shelves and driving to the bank when he was old enough to drive, Carolan said.